As beach, pool and soiree season kicks into high gear this month, it’s time to shed the threads and jump into the social scene. From embracing the sweat factor with a fantastic workout to innovative wellness practices, the options for feeling great in your skin have never been better. Here are some of our best bets for summer.
Natalie Strahorn, MVMNT Society founder in her studio
THE MVMNT SOCIETY
Natalie Strahorn, founder and CEO of the MVMNT Society (themvmntsociety.com), is in her zone when leading a legion of fitness disciples in her Alexandria studio. The venue offers workouts for women— designed by women—with everything from TRX and mini-trampoline classes to STEP and dance cardio. “Our workouts are interval-style HIIT exercises to torch fat. They’re sandwiched between functional fitness exercises to build lean muscle and speed up your metabolism,” says Strahorn, who recently became a certified health coach via the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. “Your body needs change to see change, which is why our class programming and choreography are constantly evolving. People come for the workouts but stay for the community.” Strahorn just introduced monthly workshops (in-person and virtual) like Meditation 101 and Optimizing Your Gut Health. “I also host monthly private group health coaching, where I prioritize my clients’ entry since my group coaching fills up fast.”
The infrared therapy room at Balian Spring
BALIAN SPRINGS
Balian Springs (baliansprings.com) is a new, 10,000-square-foot social club for wellness in Alexandria. Three floors of amenities include 16 hydrotherapy pools, eight saunas, a fitness center, a sushi bar, a cafe, relaxation lounges and a 13-room day spa. “Wellness goes beyond the prioritization of just our physical health—it’s about self-care and taking a holistic approach while balancing our physical, mental, spiritual, emotional, and social well-being,” says Stephanie Chon, president of Balian Springs. “Our mission is to create a sanctuary for wellness exploration and provide our members’ access to unique therapies in one central location—and to be a part of a community centered around spreading wellness.”
Visitors to Balian Springs also relish its healthful options for refueling.
Chon says she’s excited about unveiling the center’s wellness workshop calendar this spring and summer. “Each week, we’ll host different classes centered around one aspect of well-being. From hot yoga, Reiki, hypnotherapy, biohacking, and boxing, to movie night, meditation, IV and botox pop-ups, these workshops expand on the experience found at Balian Springs,” she says.
MICHAEL GLICKMAN
REVOLUTION MEDICINE
“We're revolutionizing the way you lose weight,” says Dr. Michael Glickman, the mind behind Revolution Medicine (revolutionmed.com), a membership-based specialty practice that provides a weight-loss solution through an innovative technology-driven platform. The approach integrates evidence-based, weight-loss medicine, a preventive approach to individual health, and personalized nutrition and fitness. “What differentiates us from the vast majority of weight-loss centers is that we are in-network with most commercial health insurance plans and Medicare, which enables us to act as a natural extension of a patient’s primary care doctor and other specialists,” says Dr. Glickman, noting that his practice focuses on five pillars to achieving optimal wellness and weight loss: metabolic and physical health, nutrition, fitness, mental health, and community. “Our whole-person approach allows our patients to see the best results for their overall health and wellness.”
Dr. Natalie Gregorian PHTO: BY HILARY SCHWAB
AETHERIUM
Dr. Natalie Gregorian’s elevator speech for her DC-based company, Aetherium (aetheriumhealth.com), is relatively simple: “I specialize in complicated, chronic conditions that have persisted for years and haven’t been solved through conventional medicine”— including pain, infertility, women’s health, and autoimmune and neurological disorders.
“Wellness is the active process of making behavioral and lifestyle choices that influence our health on a body, mind, and spiritual level,” says Dr. Gregorian, who uses acupuncture and integrative medicine in her practice. “The paradigm of wellness provides a model where patients can understand how internal and external stressors impact their health on various levels.”
Right now, the team at Aetherium is developing a program of using topical herbal products, serums and tools for an at-home healing ritual. “There’s a lot of buzz around using Gua Sha techniques to rejuvenate the face,” she says. “Many individuals are not using the tools correctly or recognize how Gua Sha can create healing practices to address ailments, including stress, insomnia, anxiety, temporomandibular joint syndrome, lactation and pain. Our program will guide patients on optimizing the therapeutic effects of Gua Sha in the comfort of their home.”
Modern Body offers clients surgical and noninvasive solutions.
MODERN BODY
With locations in Tysons and Richmond, Modern Body (mymodernbody.com) is led by brothers Burton M. Sundin, M.D. and Reps B. Sundin, M.D., board-certified plastic surgeons offering a comprehensive selection of customized surgical and non-invasive solutions for body and facial rejuvenation. Beyond remarkable results, the practice also features a concierge feel with personal attention to detail.
“We encourage our patients to lead a healthy lifestyle and help them to find the cosmetic procedures that will rejuvenate their appearance without making them look overdone,” says Dr. Burton Sundin. “We’re now using unique techniques for face and neck lifting that deliver excellent, natural results, particularly contouring along the jawline and rejuvenation in the neck. We’ve developed our face- and neck-lifting method over the last 20 years—we call it the Uplift.” The practice also employs state-of-the-art strategies for liposuction and non-invasive body contouring.
Danielle McDevitt, Unalome’s founder
UNALOME HOUSE
“Unalome House (unalomehouse.com) takes a more holistic approach to health, wellness, and aesthetics, working with the body to find root causes, support healing and foster vitality,” says Dr. Danielle McDevitt, the founder of this just-opened wellness center in Severna Park, Md. “While we offer several more traditional treatments, we combine those with functional and Eastern practices alongside cutting-edge technology. Our house was inspired by Tulum, Mexico, and designed to be a bespoke, relaxing, restorative oasis.”
Autumn Todd, Unalome’s director of aesthetics.
Visitors to Unalome House may select from various beauty options, including HydraFacials, SkinPen microneedling with PRP, dermaplane, Botox, Sculptra, Dysport, plus treatments for acne, acne scarring, and hyperpigmentation. Some clients also select treatments for fat reduction and direct muscle activation. Finally, the center offers gut health, functional nutrition, medical weight loss, peptides, acupuncture, Gua Sha, cupping, and HeartMath.
Photography by: COURTESY OF NATALIE STRAHORN; COURTESY OF BALIAN SPRINGS; COURTESY OF BALIAN SPRINGS; COURTESY OF REVOLUTION MEDICINE; COURTESY OF MODERN BODY; COURTESY OF UNALOME; COURTESY OF UNALOME
